Twitter for Lawyers: 3 Ways Your Firm Can Use Twitter

Do lawyers use Twitter?

Lawyers use Twitter for a variety of reasons. For example, lawyers can use Twitter to promote their businesses, keep up-to-date with legal news, or engage with other professionals. By searching for legal content on Twitter, you’ll come across many users associated with the legal profession. According to the 2021 ABA Profile of the Legal Profession, approximately 23% of lawyers polled with a social media presence were on Twitter!

How to use Twitter for lawyers

Lawyers can use Twitter in a number of ways. Below, we’ve identified a few common ways lawyers use Twitter.

Networking with legal professionals

Twitter is a great way to network with other legal professionals in today’s online world. While there isn’t a specific “Twitter for lawyers” section on the website, you can find other legal professionals easily. Try typing names or usernames into the “Search” box in the top right-hand corner of your Twitter timeline or using the “Explore” tab.

A great way to start your Twitter networking journey is to upload your contacts to see whether they have Twitter accounts. You can also “start big” by following large legal organizations (such as the American Bar Association or your local bar association’s Twitter page).

From there, Twitter will start sending you suggestions on who to follow (you should see these recommendations on your Twitter page as they appear), and you can curate your “Following” list as time goes on.

Whether you’re promoting your law firm on Twitter, looking for legal connections, or searching for work, you’ll find endless opportunities for networking with legal professionals across the globe.

Staying up-to-date on legal news

Keeping up with the endless legal news can feel daunting at times, but Twitter makes it easy to refine the types of content you’re seeing and make the most of your account. Curating your Following list is a great way to get news (via Tweets) from reliable sources, but you can also search on Twitter or follow particular Topics.

You can search for topics and use the “Advanced search” to refine your results in several ways (for example, you can search for “legal news” being Tweeted from a particular geographic location if you want local updates).

Using the Topics feature allows you to follow particular topics on Twitter, personalizing the Tweets, events, and ads you see in your feed. For example, you could select “Business and Finance” so your feed results focus more on Tweets relating to this topic.

Increasing your law firm’s visibility

Whether you’re creating a personal Twitter account or setting one up for your law firm, it will help others learn more about you. If you use Twitter strategically, it may even help you win clients. Start by optimizing your Twitter profile (more on that below). From there, use Twitter to spread your message! Your message will depend on your firm’s social media strategy and goals. It could include thought leadership (positioning your firm as experts in a particular subject area), increasing visibility, or promoting your firm culture. Want to let the Twitterverse know about a recent court win? Post videos of your office dog? Anything goes!

Whatever your message, remember to take advantage of hashtags when Tweeting. Hashtags categorize your Tweets, so they are more likely to appear in Twitter search results. For example, if you’re telling the Twitterverse about a recent personal injury win in court, you could use the hashtag #personalinjurylaw in your Tweet. Anyone searching for or browsing this hashtag would be more likely to find your Tweet (and learn more about your firm).

Don’t forget about the value of expanding your social media presence, too. Twitter is just one of many social media platforms you can leverage to market your services.

Optimize your law firm’s Twitter presence

A successful law firm Twitter profile starts when creating your account. Keep the following in mind to optimize your law firm’s Twitter presence.

Your Twitter username

Your Twitter username (or “handle”) begins with the “@” symbol and will appear in your Twitter profile URL. Select a Twitter username that makes sense for your brand. For example, if you’re using Twitter to advertise your law firm’s services, it makes sense to use your firm name as your Twitter handle (@ClioAndClioLawFirm). If you’re focusing less on promoting your law firm and more on promoting yourself as a thought leader in a particular area of law, you might choose a more abstract Twitter handle (@TheClioLawExpert).

If, at a later time, you decide that you need to change your Twitter username, don’t worry! You can update your Twitter username easily.

Your Twitter name

In addition to your Twitter username, you’ll need to include your Twitter name. Your Twitter name will usually be your business name (so it may be nearly-identical to your Twitter username). Keep in mind that Twitter limits names to 50 characters. You may need to get creative if you have a very long business name!

Your Twitter bio

Here’s where you can start getting creative! Your Twitter bio should tell readers about your business. You are limited to 160 characters for your Twitter bio, so keep things sweet and simple. Provide a brief description of what your law firm does. You can also add your location, website, and contact information to your profile separate from your bio. Consider using a “call to action” at the end of your Twitter bio to prompt prospective clients to get in touch with you (for example, “Need a hand with your estate planning? Contact us: www.cliolawfirm.com”).

Your Twitter profile picture and banner image

Your Twitter profile picture and banner image can be anything you want, but it makes sense to include on-brand photos. Using your law firm logo or headshot as your profile picture is always a good idea.

Your banner image should also represent your brand—whether it’s a picture of your lawyers, your logo, or something else. If you can’t find an appropriate header image, many websites provide free banner images.

Twitter for lawyers is an important part of your marketing strategy

Twitter marketing for lawyers can be challenging. But if you keep in mind the three effective ways for lawyers to use Twitter, this social media channel can boost your law firm’s brand awareness, reputation, and can help your firm gain new clients.

When using Twitter for lawyers, ensure the content your firm posts is relevant, engaging, and valuable. Above all, make sure your messaging is consistent and on-brand. By doing so, you’re more likely to engage your audience and increase business. In addition, you can diversify your posts, share original content, news and events, behind-the-scenes tidbits, and pepper in humorous posts.

If you need help managing the Twitter account for your firm, consider talking to an expert or law firm marketing consultant. These professionals can analyze your platform and build an extensive social media strategy.